That's a lot for a customer to take in, and Microsoft is counting on developers to show by example how this can all work through the applications they write.

Meanwhile the clock is ticking, says Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. Microsoft has about two years to prove itself successful, he says; not that it will be dead in the water if it doesn't reach all its goals, but it will miss the chance to dominate and Google in mobile devices.

An essential element is applications -- table stakes apps, existing apps that perform better on Windows, and groundbreaking apps that are only available on and supportable by Windows, Golvin says.

"Were political adviser James Carville to assess this battle, he would likely say, 'It's the apps, stupid,'" he says in a research report.

With this backdrop, Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer and his top executives delivered a slew of tools, perks and promises to energize the apps writers. Some highlights: